


Happy New Year

by amethystcarnelian



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Alcohol, First Kiss, Kissing at Midnight, M/M, New Year's Eve, nothing major just a little champagne, the boys go to a new years eve party in ten forward
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:07:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22055293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amethystcarnelian/pseuds/amethystcarnelian
Summary: Geordi has invited Data to the Enterprise's New (Earth) Year's Eve party in Ten Forward, Data has been researching New Year's Eve traditions, Guinan gives good advice, and the Captain gets to pick which city's fireworks we watch.Something short and sweet for New Year's Eve
Relationships: Data/Geordi La Forge
Comments: 6
Kudos: 119





	Happy New Year

Data stepped through the doors of Ten Forward. The room had been decked out in festive sparkling streamers and silver and gold balloons, softly lit from overhead. Geordi had insisted that he attend the New Year's Eve party this year, when Geordi had learned that Data had never experienced the celebration of Earth's new solar year, he had decided that it was essential for Data to be introduced to this particular element of Earth culture. Apparently the celebrations revolved around welcoming new opportunities and new starts, as well as trying to encourage good luck to permeate one's life in the coming year. Data's natural curiosity and willingness to learn about different cultures (as well as a particularly bright smile from a certain Chief Engineer) had led him to agree to attend.

It did not take Data long to spot Geordi, despite the fairly crowded nature of the room. Geordi would be one of the few people present still in uniform, a result of his shift finishing only a short while earlier. The official and simple yellow and black stood out against the myriad of colours and sparkling sequins filling the room. Geordi was with Guinan, the two of them seated on either side of the bar. From what Data could tell as he approached, they seemed to be discussing something quite intently.

"-been alive for centuries, I know how to give damn good advice. I'm telling you, you really should just go for it! Geordi, trust me on this," Guinan said.

"Guinan! You know I- Data!" Geordi looked briefly alarmed as he noticed that Data had appeared at his side.

"Hello, Geordi. Am I interrupting?"

"No! Nope! You're not interrupting anything!" Geordi seemed strangely enthusiastic in his insistence, but Data allowed it to pass with only a slight curious head tilt.

"Do you boys want something to drink? I hear champagne is traditional on New Years," Guinan said, already turning to acquire a couple glasses from behind the bar.

"Champagne would be great thanks, Guinan," Geordi replied.

"If it is tradition, then I will also have champagne, thank you," Data said.

"I've seen so many that they blur together now, but I hear this is your very first new years celebration, Data?" Guinan said as she passed them their drinks.

"Yes, I have never attended a celebration for the beginning of a new solar year before now. Geordi said that it was 'great fun' and that I should not miss out this year, as I am not on shift and thus available to partake in the celebration."

"Great fun, huh? Well, I sure hope you boys have a good time. Now, I've gotta go serve some other party goers so I'll see you both later," Guinan gave an enigmatic smile before moving away.

"Geordi, according to which time zone will we be observing the new year? To my knowledge there are 24 different time zones on Earth," Data asked as Geordi began walking towards a table in the corner of the room, Data close behind.

"I'm pretty sure we're celebrating at midnight Central European Standard Time, since that's the time zone most similar to the ship's time. Besides, the captain wanted to celebrate at the same time as France, and he gets the final say. Guinan's set things up so that we'll be able to watch the fireworks in Paris when the clock strikes midnight," Geordi said.

They sat together, sipping champagne and discussing plans for their upcoming shore leave. There was an Earth colony not far away that had a city set up to simulate London in 1895. They had picked the location approximately a month ago and Data had been about as excited as he ever got at the prospect of being able to walk through a physical Victorian London. Geordi had had to hold him back from planning to dress as Sherlock Holmes for the entire duration of their stay ("This won't be the holodeck Data, you can't be Holmes, and I can’t be Watson, we'll have to be us. But I can help you pick out some other period accurate outfits, if you'd like?"). Data had been formulating a plan to sneak a deerstalker hat in his luggage alongside the pipe Geordi had gifted him, knowing it would amuse Geordi, even if it did exasperate him slightly.

As the clock reached 10 minutes until midnight, Geordi decided that they should move so they could have a better view of the screen when the fireworks went off. Data picked up a couple party poppers from a nearby table as they went, having observed other party goers doing the same.

"Geordi, I have been doing some research into Earth's new year's eve traditions. In Spain it is tradition to eat twelve white grapes, one with each chime of the clock at midnight, it is believed to bring good luck. In some English speaking countries it is traditional to sing Auld Lang Syne, a Scots-language poem, at midnight to bid farewell to the old year. I also found that it is a common tradition to kiss someone at midnight," Data said, handing Geordi one of the party poppers.

"I've heard people sing Auld Lang Syne before but I've never really known what the lyrics were, it's always sung by drunk people who also probably don't know them. I'm not really familiar with the grapes one, I’ve never really spent any time in Spain. I am familiar with the one about kissing someone at midnight, though, I think the idea is that you kiss someone you intend to carry on kissing in the new year." The increasing vasodilation in Geordi's cheeks did not go unseen by Data, which he took as an indicator that his plan, one that was created not long after he discovered that particular new Year's tradition, may yield positive results.

"Hmm, have you ever engaged in the tradition?" Data asked, the clock edging ever closer to midnight.

"I- Uh, I haven't, actually," Geordi said, "There's never really been anyone for me to kiss at midnight, and even if there was, I've never exactly been confident about asking someone."

As Geordi was talking, Data caught sight of Guinan, over Geordi's shoulder, watching them from the bar. She gave him a thumbs up, and while Data wasn't sure exactly how she had worked out what his plan was, nor how she had come to the conclusion that it was a good idea to go through with it, he still trusted Guinan. A being as wise and experienced as she was, was likely to be able to point him in the right direction. So if she was encouraging him in his endeavour, as she seemed to be doing, she must believe he will succeed.

The other people in the room started to call out the seconds to midnight.

It was now or never, Data concluded.

"TEN!"

"Geordi, would you like to engage in the tradition?"

"NINE!"

Geordi did not respond, looking at Data with a dumbfounded expression.

"EIGHT!"

"Geordi? If my meaning was unclear-"

"SEVEN!"

"-I was attempting to ask if you-"

"SIX!"

"-would like to kiss-"

"FIVE!"

"-me?"

"FOUR!"

Geordi laughed, shaking off his surprise and moving closer to Data.

"THREE!"

"I'd love to kiss you, Data."

"TWO!" 

Data and Geordi joined the crowd to call out the final second.

"ONE!"

All around them party poppers exploded, people cheered, fireworks erupted on screen. And in the middle of it all, Data and Geordi kissed.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year everyone! One of my resolutions this year is to write more, so hopefully you'll be seeing more from me in 2020.
> 
> I know it's a lot more likely that the Enterprise would run on Pacific Standard Time since Starfleet is based in San Francisco but oh well.
> 
> Thank you for reading! If you want some more daforge content then you can find fanart on my tumblr @drawsmaddy


End file.
